ABSTRACT:

Land evaluation involves soil data acquisition, analysis and categorization which puts data in a useful form for public consumption. The current study was to evaluate each soil unit in Bekwarra Local Government Area for the production of sesame. Satellite imagery of Anyikang was obtained from google earth, and the contour map generated in the ArcGIS 10.2.1.3 environment. Four spatial toposequences were identified. Along each of the four toposequences, one profile pit was dug in the crest, middle slope and lower slope positions. A total of 12 profile pits were therefore studied in the 33.32 ha tract of land. The soils were very deep (>150 cm), with soil pH of 4.5 – 6.1, while organic carbon was low to moderate. Currently, 1.19, 14.56 and 17.59 ha of the map extent were classified as moderately, marginally and currently not suitable, respectively for sesame cultivation. Upon proper management, a great proportion of the tract was upgraded. Consequently, potential aggregate suitability resulted in the qualification of 9.51 and 23.81 ha of the map extent as highly and moderately suitable for sesame production. Therefore, a good percentage of land that was currently not suitable or marginally suitable was later upgraded, potentially to highly or moderately suitable because of the removal of limitations due to either sum of basic cations, soil pH or soil organic carbon. The difficult-to-alter properties were suitable for sesame, while the partly limiting properties were easily altered and adjustable. There is therefore ease of upgrading the properties where they are found to be limiting in order to obtain more suitable tracts of land for sesame production.